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Neal Stephenson, Is he worth getting into?

Posted on 12/12/19 at 6:15 pm
Posted by memphis tiger
Memphis, TN
Member since Feb 2006
20720 posts
Posted on 12/12/19 at 6:15 pm
Some of his books look interesting (Ananthem, Read Me, Fall) but they also look incredibly long and seem to be pretty heavy reading.

Anyone read his work and think it’s worth the time to dive in?
Posted by auyushu
Surprise, AZ
Member since Jan 2011
9213 posts
Posted on 12/12/19 at 7:49 pm to
Snow crash is one of my favorite sci fi novels, great cyberpunk book. The baroque cycle is very good. Zodiac is decent.

I haven't read anything else by him, but have diamond age on my Kindle to read at some point.

I've always heard great things about cryptonomicon, but the plot just didn't seem interesting to me.

I'd suggest trying snow crash, it's not super heavy and isn't crazy long.
This post was edited on 12/12/19 at 7:52 pm
Posted by memphis tiger
Memphis, TN
Member since Feb 2006
20720 posts
Posted on 12/12/19 at 8:58 pm to
Thanks
Posted by Tigris
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Member since Jul 2005
12853 posts
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:28 am to
He's my favorite sci-fi author that is still writing.

Yes, his books tend to be long and dense, that's part of why I like them.

Some of his stuff is dated, for a lot of his books he's cutting edge on the technology and societal trends when the books are written but things move on. But they are still entertaining. Snow Crash is probably the place to start. Or Anathem or Diamond Age. I'm not really big on his Baroque Cycle books or the rise and fall of DODO. Cryptonomicon is his masterpiece IMO but it's also his most challenging book to get into. Fall, or Dodge in Hell came out this year but it's best read last since some of the characters and back story from Cryptonomicon and Reamde are in it.
Posted by Big Chipper
Charlotte, NC
Member since Sep 2008
2887 posts
Posted on 12/18/19 at 6:03 am to
I read Seveneves...it was a slog.
Posted by Tigris
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Member since Jul 2005
12853 posts
Posted on 12/20/19 at 7:52 am to
quote:

I read Seveneves...it was a slog.


That's fair enough. I liked it a lot early and it did turn into a slog. The same for Reamde, Dodge in Hell (just finished), and the Baroque Cycle books. The Rise and Fall of DODO I never cared for. But Snowcrash, Cryptonomicon, Diamond Age, and Anathem were ones I enjoyed from beginning to end and all on my top sci-fi of all time list. And to me a slog from Stephenson is still better than most other sci-fi books. He's always got a few interesting ideas thrown in and he can be pretty damn funny.
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